Following are brief news bits of interest to the cycling community. If you have heard of something that your fellow cyclists should know of, please email the information to 'glen' at this website, and I will try to post it.

Ready to Bicycle Commute?

Fed up with paying outrageous prices for gas, only to support countries hostile to ours? Decided to lower your carbon footprint, and to add a little green to your life? Curious about all those lycra-clad bodies that zipped past you on Bike-to-Work Day in late June?

Your reasons for choosing to investigate bicycle commuting are less important than the fact that you HAVE chosen to look into it. If you're not quite sure HOW to ditch your four-wheeled prison for the freedom of two wheels ... luckily, it's not that hard. Visit the commuting for more info.

Bicycle tours and more

Spring is coming - and that means another school/library/bicycling tour for Glen Hanket. This year I will bike from Chicago to Denver via WI, southern MN, and NE. Full details are available at css/2008.html. Follow my journal via my blog.

2007 was quite my year for travel - bicycling Michigan and Wisconsin in May, the RAGBRAI in July ... and my first trip to Africa in Aug/Sep. If you'd like to see pictures or read my weblog of climbing Kilimanjaro or taking a safari (or any of my other trips), click over to my touring page and scroll through my list of blogs (on the upper left side of the screen). Pictures are available at hankettrips.shutterfly.com.

Bike trail detours

Bear Creek Trail - the eastern-most section is closed due to construction of a shopping complex. The official detour veers from the Platte Trail at Oxford Ave. Head west on Oxford; turn right on the first street (Clay St; it is signed), which takes you back to the Bear Creek Trail.

Clear Creek Trail - Bridge construction on the I-70 over the creek affects travel on the trail. Signs warn that there may be detours or delays on weekdays while crews are working. I had no problem riding through on a Saturday, but beware it is not the smooth trail you expect.

Columbine Memorial (C-470) Trail - The Alameda Ave bridge over C-470 (north of Bear creek Lake) is half-destroyed, and work is continuing on it and the trail. Though the northern-most mile of trail is open, you are detoured back to Rooney Rd at the main trailhead, and sent down to Alameda. Crews were working on the Saturday I came through; they'll flag you through, but ask you to walk across the bridge. Beware of equipment.

Grange Hall Creek (Thornton). Construction of a new park area has closed this trail between the Thornton Rec Center and the Fox Run neighborhood. The easiest detour is to head north along Colorado Blvd to 112th, take that east to Fox Run Pkwy (or Irma Dr), and head south to regain the trail.

Tollgate Creek (Aurora). I've received email notice that there is a construction detour between Alameda and Mexico, with no warning signs. Heads up! (Thanks for the info, Michael!)

Do you know of any trail closures or detours? Has a new trail opened in your area? If you email me (see contact info, I will try to post it. Keep your fellow bikers in the know!

Upcoming Events

Looking for a ride to join? Anxious for an adventure? Colorado has quite a list of annual rides, as seen below. Check our rides page for more info and links for any of these rides.

June 28-29: MS-150 Ride

July 12: Triple Bypass

July 12: World Naked Bike Ride in Denver

July 19: Moonlight Classic in downtown Denver

July 20 & 27: Urban Assault Race (Ft. Collins, Denver)

August 2: Copper Triangle Alpine Classic

August 9: Going Green 100 (Salida)

August 17: Venus de Miles (Longmont/Boulder County)

September 9: Ride for the Cure (Aspen)

October 27: Velo-Swap (Denver)

Let me know if I left off YOUR event!

You can use BikePaths.com to find information on bicycling in the Denver metro area or around the state. If there is information you think should be displayed here, let me know - or send me the info, and I'll post it!

Calories Burned Calculator

A new feature, courtesy of Everyday Health. Now you can get an estimate of how many calories you burned on your bike ride!

Pace:
Weight:
Time:
Biking can help lower cholesterol levels.

Photos of CO trails

Want to see what some of the trails look like? I have uploaded 130 photos from bike trails throughout Colorado onto the web. You can see them at bikepaths.shutterfly.com . If you have good shots of the trails yourself, you can add your own photographs to the bikepaths collections, or you can comment on the photos already there. If you have a picture I'd like to use in any upcoming editions, you could win free books!

Escape the crowds

A few years back I composed a Top Ten list on which trails you can escape the crowds. It still holds true today!

Local reference

Check out the Denver or Colorado reference pages for more specific information on local cycling. Or, check out the writeup of a highlighted trail, the Sand Creek Trail running through Denver, now officially complete.

BikePaths.com also provides general reference for bicyclists, no matter where you live. We are considering expanding our trail books and coverage to other states - if you live elsewhere, have a hankering for cycling, and would like to pursue a sideline business - we want to hear from you!

A World of Cyclists on the Web

This page is but a small cog in the pantheon of pages catering to cyclists on the web. Visit our Hot Links page for a wide variety of references to other bike sites (last updated and verified in Feb 2006). And if you want to find like-minded people in the real world, check out the links on our Club Page, both in Colorado and elsewhere in the U.S.

Bike Touring (and a little Bio)

Ever considered doing a bike tour? I can personally recommend it! My touring page gives more information on how to do it, and stories of others who have discovered that "The best way to leave the rat race is to travel at a snail's pace." I have completed five bike tours lasting 16-24 days, and my blogs are available on that page.

Lighten up!

... with a little humor.

Chuckle at these pictures of Funny Bicycles - I doubt you'll find them in any store.

Spice up your Out-of-Office auto-reply emails!

Sure-fire suggestions to lighten the atmosphere in YOUR workplace. Do you have the courage to try them? We dare you!

Next, you can spread that special insanity into the world at large!

Have you ever called tech support for your computer? Read the HelpDesk Hall of Shame to hear of the Luddites they have to deal with.

Want a chuckle? Check out what may be the world's worst 'required reading' list!

Be sure to check out the web's last page!


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